Dogs
It is said that there's not much going on in Eastern Oregon. Case in point, the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, which seems (from afar) to consist of very rugged terrain and... well, not much more.
Here is where Brandon Garrett, an adventurer at heart, found himself in a perilous situation when his pickup truck veered off the winding US Forest Service Road 39, tumbling into a ravine.
The crash left Garrett injured but not alone. His faithful canine, Blue, refused to abandon him, even though Blue himself (a whippet for those asking) navigated a treacherous four-mile journey with glass in his nose! Blue's trip took him through the wilderness, traversing trails and overcoming obstacles, until he reached the campsite where Garrett's family was anxiously awaiting his return.
Blue's sudden appearance ignited a spark of hope within the concerned family members, prompting them to initiate a search for their missing loved one. Meanwhile, Garrett, with remarkable resilience, managed to crawl nearly a hundred yards from the crash site, finding refuge away from a creek and on dry ground for the night.
As dawn broke on June 3rd, the search intensified, and Garrett's family members discovered the overturned vehicle, promptly alerting the Baker County Search and Rescue Ropes Team. From there, just reaching Garrett proved to be quite the task. Chainsaws, a rescue basket, a highline rope system, and a handful of medical personnel all came together to reach Garrett and then relocate him from this horrible ravine to a regional hospital via helicopter.
These seasoned veterans of mountain rescues, expressed well deserved admiration for Garrett's dog. In their estimation the chances of locating him would have been significantly diminished.
Heroes come in unexpected forms. For this story, it’s in the form of a dog.
A really good dog.